Frat members stole holiday decorations as prank

BIRMINGHAM -- As many as 20 members of two Samford University fraternities face disciplinary action in what police describe as a holiday prank that went too far: The theft of Christmas decorations from lawns around Jefferson County.

Yard decorations began disappearing from suburban homes shortly after Thanksgiving, and police in Kimberly recovered stolen decorations from their city and Warrior after stopping 10 students Dec. 2. More decorations were taken in Vestavia Hills.

Police turned the matter over to officials at Samford, located in suburban Birmingham, and officials at the Baptist-affiliated university began investigating. They found trains, trees and inflatable Christmas characters adorning the lobbies of fraternity houses.

"Apparently there was some kind of competition and evidently they couldn't go out and buy it," Vestavia Hills Sgt. Chuck Nagle said. "They had to steal it."

Samford officials didn't take the matter lightly.

"Unfortunately, it was very poor decisions these students made," assistant dean Renie Moss said. "Certainly it was not in keeping with the values of Samford University at all."

The students had to go door-to-door to apologize and return the items, and Moss said they also had to pay for any decorations that were damaged. The students -- whose fraternities the university would not identify -- still face problems at school.

"They are in trouble," Moss said, "and we have our judicial procedures that will be enacted."

Kimberly police Sgt. Steve Bailey called the thefts "a prank that got out of hand."

"I know they're adults, but they're young adults," he said. "When I was 18, I didn't know I was an adult."

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Frat members stole holiday decorations as prank

BIRMINGHAM -- As many as 20 members of two Samford University fraternities face disciplinary action in what police describe as a holiday prank that went too far: The theft of Christmas decorations

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